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Feb. 27, 1980
Dear Mrs. Core
Our daughter, Susan, who attends the University of Oklahoma, will be arriving in Little Rock
either the evening of the 7th or the morning of the 8th. I will have to meet her at the plane
or the bus. which ever way she comes. She has agreed, to come to Stuttgart Mith me , and if we
arrive there in time for lunch I will call you.
My work is more than a hobby but it is much like a hobby, in that there is no payment, beyond
personal gratification. At times it is very exhilerating but at other times it is most
frustrating. In all the years that I have worked on this tribe's history, I have found very little
that was not complimentary to them. And, those things were a scandal to the whole tribe. The
truth about the Quapaws is such that it exceeds my wildest hopes and I only wish that my ability
to write it was equal to their record.
Since you offered to share what you have, I wish to know anything you may have on Louis
Augustus Imbeau. He was born in Arkansas in 1847, but just where I do not know. His wife's name
was Melissa, who was born in Arkansas in 1849. One of their sons was our nearest neighbor on
the south of our farm. His name was Harvey Imbeau, whom we called "Uncle Bud". We pronounced
his name Ambo, but he spelled it Imbeau. Louis Augustus Imbeau, the son of Harvey, is now very
old and seriously ill. He wants to know just which of Jean Baptiste Imbeau's sons he is
descended from. I have not found the answer, although I have much on the Imbeau family.
Ambo is from the Quapaw word A po, which means Elk. Himbeau came from the Quapaw word Hi A po,
which means Elk Horn. The French have a tendency to interchange m's and n's and the Quapaws
have a character between b and p, so they interchange those letters.
I tried several ways to get the original of the Catholic Baptismal Records and, finally, after
writing and calling the Bishop, he sent me a letter giving permission to use the originals.
Monsignor Kordsmeier, who got these for me, told me that I could use them for two hours. I was
afraid that those two hours may be all the time I would ever have with the ledgers, so I took
them to my husband's office and copied them on the Xerox machine. Then I returned them to Msgr.
and he suggested (directed) me not to let others have the copies. So, I wont let you look at
the originals, but, I see nothing wrong with copying the information you wish from them.
I do not agree with the attitude of the priests, but I can see the reason for it, because the
early priests were specific in giving the names of the white men, who fathered children by
slaves. Such information might produce scandal, at least loss of face, for some.
The records I have cover the period 1796-1802 and 1850-1880. The earlier ledger was written in
Spanish and French, the latter one is in English. I translated the whole of this material by
using a French-English dictionary and a Spanish-English dictionary. Then, just to make sure of
my translation, I asked one of the nuns, who has a masters in French, and another teacher who
has a masters in Spanish, to go over them and correct my errors. Of course I paid them for this
and I was careful to ask people I was sure would not bring shame to others.
In addition to the standard information given in baptisms, Pedro Janin and Fray Juan Brady both
gave the names of maternal and paternal grandparents and their point of origin, when it was
known. The ledgers were written with ink and there are a number of blotted areas, and some
names are indeciferable, because of the peculiar manner in which they formed their characters.
Mrs. Vaughn's material is correct most of the time, but it is incorrect in some instances and
incomplete in many.
I feel sure that you will not bombard me with requests and that you will realise that whatever
I do must be done in spare moments. But, with that understanding- I think we can help each
other. I have always maintained that these records belong more to the people they are about or
their descendants than anyone else, and I told the Bishop that.
Very truly yours, Ann Edmiston

Feb. 27, 1980
Dear Mrs. Core
Our daughter, Susan, who attends the University of Oklahoma, will be arriving in Little Rock
either the evening of the 7th or the morning of the 8th. I will have to meet her at the plane
or the bus. which ever way she comes. She has agreed, to come to Stuttgart Mith me , and if we
arrive there in time for lunch I will call you.
My work is more than a hobby but it is much like a hobby, in that there is no payment, beyond
personal gratification. At times it is very exhilerating but at other times it is most
frustrating. In all the years that I have worked on this tribe's history, I have found very little
that was not complimentary to them. And, those things were a scandal to the whole tribe. The
truth about the Quapaws is such that it exceeds my wildest hopes and I only wish that my ability
to write it was equal to their record.
Since you offered to share what you have, I wish to know anything you may have on Louis
Augustus Imbeau. He was born in Arkansas in 1847, but just where I do not know. His wife's name
was Melissa, who was born in Arkansas in 1849. One of their sons was our nearest neighbor on
the south of our farm. His name was Harvey Imbeau, whom we called "Uncle Bud". We pronounced
his name Ambo, but he spelled it Imbeau. Louis Augustus Imbeau, the son of Harvey, is now very
old and seriously ill. He wants to know just which of Jean Baptiste Imbeau's sons he is
descended from. I have not found the answer, although I have much on the Imbeau family.
Ambo is from the Quapaw word A po, which means Elk. Himbeau came from the Quapaw word Hi A po,
which means Elk Horn. The French have a tendency to interchange m's and n's and the Quapaws
have a character between b and p, so they interchange those letters.
I tried several ways to get the original of the Catholic Baptismal Records and, finally, after
writing and calling the Bishop, he sent me a letter giving permission to use the originals.
Monsignor Kordsmeier, who got these for me, told me that I could use them for two hours. I was
afraid that those two hours may be all the time I would ever have with the ledgers, so I took
them to my husband's office and copied them on the Xerox machine. Then I returned them to Msgr.
and he suggested (directed) me not to let others have the copies. So, I wont let you look at
the originals, but, I see nothing wrong with copying the information you wish from them.
I do not agree with the attitude of the priests, but I can see the reason for it, because the
early priests were specific in giving the names of the white men, who fathered children by
slaves. Such information might produce scandal, at least loss of face, for some.
The records I have cover the period 1796-1802 and 1850-1880. The earlier ledger was written in
Spanish and French, the latter one is in English. I translated the whole of this material by
using a French-English dictionary and a Spanish-English dictionary. Then, just to make sure of
my translation, I asked one of the nuns, who has a masters in French, and another teacher who
has a masters in Spanish, to go over them and correct my errors. Of course I paid them for this
and I was careful to ask people I was sure would not bring shame to others.
In addition to the standard information given in baptisms, Pedro Janin and Fray Juan Brady both
gave the names of maternal and paternal grandparents and their point of origin, when it was
known. The ledgers were written with ink and there are a number of blotted areas, and some
names are indeciferable, because of the peculiar manner in which they formed their characters.
Mrs. Vaughn's material is correct most of the time, but it is incorrect in some instances and
incomplete in many.
I feel sure that you will not bombard me with requests and that you will realise that whatever
I do must be done in spare moments. But, with that understanding- I think we can help each
other. I have always maintained that these records belong more to the people they are about or
their descendants than anyone else, and I told the Bishop that.
Very truly yours, Ann Edmiston